Manipur High Court Modifies Contentious March 2023 Order On Inclusion Of Meiteis In Scheduled Tribes List

The Manipur High Court has modified its contentious March 2023 order on inclusion of Meiteis in the Schedules Tribe list.

The HC has ordered the deletion of a paragraph from a March 2023 order that urged the state to consider including the Meitei community in the ST List, saying the paragraph was in conflict with the Supreme Court's Constitution bench stance.

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The single-judge bench of Justice Golmei Gaiphulshillu stated that the direction in question was contrary to the Supreme Court’s judgment in a case in which the top court had observed that courts cannot modify, amend or alter the ST list.

The contentious paragraph from last year's verdict, instructing the state to expedite consideration of Meitei community inclusion, was deemed for deletion.

The 27 March 2023, directive, which is believed to be a catalyst for ethnic unrest that claimed over 200 lives in Manipur, was rescinded by the Manipur HC during a review petition hearing on Wednesday.

"Accordingly, the direction given at Para No. 17(iii) needs to be deleted and is ordered accordingly for deletion," the High Court directed in its judgment delivered on Wednesday (21 February), Bar and Bench reported.

The paragraph of last year's verdict stated the state government "shall consider the case of the petitioners for inclusion of the Meetei/Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list, expeditiously, preferably within a period of four weeks" from the date of receipt of the copy of the order.

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